Steven Vagovics – Can We Still Be Friends?
Slovak singer-songwriter and producer Steven Vagovics has spent recent years building a substantial independent catalogue in which dream pop, alternative rock, and classic singer-songwriter influences converge. Based in Bratislava, he works entirely independently on music that clearly draws inspiration from artists such as Radiohead, Coldplay, and The Beatles, while still searching for a distinct personal voice. On “Can We Still Be Friends?” Vagovics again focuses on themes of memory, lost relationships, self-reflection, and the passage of time. The album feels not only like a collection of songs, but also like a snapshot of his development as a musician.
What immediately stands out is that the tracklist almost feels like a chronological overview of that development. The songs sometimes seem arranged more in order of creation than by musical cohesion. As a result, the beginning of the record plays like a set of early experiments, while the compositions and production choices gradually become more confident and refined. This makes “Can We Still Be Friends?” interesting as a document of artistic growth, but it also results in a less consistent overall listening experience.
That progression becomes especially clear when comparing the title track with later material. “Can We Still Be Friends?” contains the core elements of Vagovics’ intended sound, but still feels slightly uneasy and notably bare. The minimal production leaves little room for dynamic buildup or emotional layering, making the song less impactful than what follows. It even raises the question of whether this version was strong enough to open the album in the first place.
Fortunately, Vagovics shows how much he develops further along the record. “Some Time Ago” stands out as one of the album’s highlights. Here, melody, arrangement, and production come together far more convincingly. The dreamy atmosphere is supported by subtle instrumentation and a naturally unfolding sense of progression. “Voices” is equally strong, offering a more complete representation of the artist. It combines introspective lyrics with a fuller sonic palette and ranks among the most compelling tracks on the album.
Where the musical execution is uneven, Vagovics proves to be more consistent lyrically. He knows exactly what he wants to express and avoids vague or overly abstract phrasing. The stories within the songs are easy to follow, and the emotions are conveyed directly without unnecessary complexity. This is a quality that is not always present in contemporary alternative pop. Songs like “Some Time Ago”, “Voices”, and “Dead to Me” benefit from this clarity, allowing the listener to easily follow the songwriter’s perspective. This directness adds a sense of honesty that compensates for some of the album’s musical shortcomings.
Beyond these strong moments, the album sequencing also reveals several notable structural choices. “Seventeen” would arguably have worked better as the closing track of the main album. It has a minimalistic, eclectic character and a clear melancholic undertone, making it feel more like a natural conclusion than a mid-album entry. At the same time, “I Just Want to Celebrate This Day” is a surprisingly bright and accessible song that might have worked better as an opener, immediately setting a more uplifting tone and framing the album differently from the start.
The actual closing moment comes with the reprise of “Can We Still Be Friends?”. Interestingly, this version sounds stronger than the original. The production feels more confident and the performance more resolved, to the point where it almost functions as the definitive version. In that sense, it could have replaced the original entirely or at least been placed deeper in the tracklist to have more impact.
Elsewhere, the album continues to fluctuate between stronger and less fully developed ideas. Tracks like “Kyoto”, “Pink Zombies”, and “Dead to Me” provide variety within the melancholic atmosphere, while “Do-Re-Mi” offers a lighter, more playful interlude that briefly breaks the mood. Still, there is a lingering sense that not every idea has been fully refined into its final form.
Ultimately, this unevenness makes “Can We Still Be Friends?” a somewhat inconsistent but compelling record. It clearly presents an artist in motion, experimenting and gradually shaping his identity. The strongest moments, particularly in the middle and final sections, point to significant potential. At the same time, the uneven quality and debatable track sequencing prevent the album from fully realising its impact. (7/10) (Independent Release)
